Field of the Invention
The use of magnetic recording equipment in combination with radio and television receiver sets has become increasingly popular in recent years for selective reproduction at any desired time of particularly interesting programmes. In the case of video recorders the primary incentive for the buyer of such comparatively high priced equipment is the wish to record programmes which he may be unable to see or hear at the time of their actual transmission. Since it also happens very often that no one is available to switch the recording equipment and associated receiver set "on" and "off" at the time in question, it is common practice to use time-switch means which automatically switches the recording equipment and the receiver "on" and "off" at the preselected programme transmission times. The currently most commonly used time switch means for this purpose is the so-called time-switch clock, which, when appropriately set up, e.g. by means of plug and socket contacts, make and break a feed circuit at preselected points in time. However, time-switch means of this type is comparatively complicated to operate, can be pre-set for periods of up to 12 hours only, and will work only for one pre-selected transmission channel, in the sense that the associated receiver can be left pre-tuned to only one chanel.
By contrast, it is the aim of the present invention to replace these conventional time switch means with a system which is simple and convenient to operate by the user, allows longer pre-setting periods than a conventional time-switch clock, and offers the additional facility of sequential selection over its period of operation from different transmission channels.